Sabarimala standoff: Tamil Nadu women agree to return as mob turns violent at Pamba

Despite being escorted by the police, the women were not allowed to proceed beyond the Pamba base camp.

New Delhi | December 23, 2018 03:43 PM IST

3 min read

On Sunday, a group of women were also forced to return without offering prayers at Sabarimala Temple. (Express photo)

The women, who arrived in Pamba today, were not allowed to proceed to the Sabarimala shrine. (Express photo)

A group of six women of menstruating age, who had arrived from Tamil Nadu on Sunday morning to offer prayers at Sabarimala, were forced to return after protests by Lord Ayappa devotees took a violent turn at Pamba base camp. While 11 women, all members of the Chennai-based ‘Manithi’ outfit, had arrived at the spot, only six of them who had carried the traditional irumudikettu (which is mandatory to climb the ‘pathinettam padi’ – holy steps leading to sanctum sanctorum) attempted to reach the hill shrine.

Despite being escorted by the police, the women were not allowed to proceed beyond the base camp. As the news of their arrival spread, a large number of devotees thronged Pamba, about five kilometres away from Sannidhanam (Sabarimala temple complex), and blocked paths and tried to chase the women away. Determined to enter the shrine, the group, led by Selvi, chose to sit on the road for over six hours. But the protesters also held fort and refused to let them proceed to the hill shrine.

“We will give our lives to protect the customs and traditions of the Sabarimala temple. Under no circumstances will these women be allowed to go up the hill,” an angry devotee was quoted as saying by IANS.

Police tried to remove the agitators by force who were not ready to budge despite repeated announcements to disperse and end the namajapa (chanting sacred hymns) protest. The women could barely move 100 metres through the traditional path towards the temple, which is about five km away from Pamba, and were later forced to seek refuge at a nearby guardroom.

“Eleven women devotees had come to offer prayers at Sabarimala Temple but the other pilgrims stopped them. The women devotees have returned now. We can’t use force. It might create a law and order problem,” Shaji Sugunan, Special Officer, Law and Order (Pamba), told ANI.

Selvi, on the other hand, alleged that they were not provided police protection as promised earlier. “We are here since 3.30 am. Police had said that they will provide us with protection but now they are not providing us with the same,” she told the news agency.

Last week, ‘Manithi’ had announced their decision to visit the shrine where women, in the age group of 10-50 years, are traditionally refused entry. However, the Supreme Court, through its September 28 landmark verdict, lifted the curb and permitted women of all age groups to offer prayers at the temple.

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Selvi had said that they had also written to the office of Kerala Chief Minister to inform him about their plan to trek to the hill temple.

Four transgenders, who were earlier stopped from proceeding towards the Lord Ayyappa temple citing security reasons, offered prayers at the hill shrine under heavy police security earlier this week.

Earlier this month, the Kerala High Court had appointed a three-member committee, vesting them with powers to oversee law and order and other problems faced by pilgrims during the ongoing annual season.

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